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- 19/04/2012: OBITUARIES ...
- 07/02/2012: A VERY deeeeeep sleeeeeeeep ......
- 20/01/2012: ..home from home ...
- 03/01/2012: AU REVOIR ......
- 08/12/2011: "...Brown paper packages tied up with string ..."
- 30/11/2011: The Great Escape ... The Happy Ending!!! YEEEEEAAAH.
- 29/11/2011: The great escape.
- 16/11/2011: Small but beautifully formed!
- 02/11/2011: Firework fun ..... or not?
- 17/10/2011: Countdown
Firework fun ….. or not?
Now is the time of year when our pets start getting scared by fireworks. It starts with Nov 5th and continues through to New Year on an intermittent basis and that is a long time.
According to research 80% of pet owners say their animals are adversely affected by fireworks so here are a few tips which are cheap and easy but may help your pets have a happier time when there are whizz-bang-flashes around.
1) Close the curtains so that bright lights outside are made less obvious. Put the room light on as well. Anything to reduce contrast between bright and dark moments will be helpful.
2) Put some ‘noise’ on in the room, if the telly is normally on then use that but perhaps have the volume slightly higher than normal; or you could put on music which is familiar to your pet. Again the aim is to reduce contrast between when the firework goes off and when there is a lull.
3) If your pet is of a type which can be distracted by food then try to feed them at that time, for example give the dog a favourite chew which will keep him busy and contented for a while. If not easily distracted by food then try some other distraction such as giving a cat a catnip mouse to play with, or covering a bird so it thinks it is time to sleep ( this will also act as another layer of light/noise muffling)
4) Do not make an especial fuss of them. Changing their amount of interaction with you may make them think that what is going on must be scary because you are acting oddly too. They may interpret changes in your behaviour as fear on your part so it is important that you project calm and confidence …. and stay relaxed even when your pet is quaking.
Of course your pet needs to be inside with you for these strategies to work! So don’t forget to move outdoor small furries into the house and get cats and dogs in well before it goes dark.